“Earlier this year the Administration transitioned the role and scope of the National Guard troops from serving on the ground and assisting the Border Patrol by serving as additional eyes and ears on the border - to an aviation-centered approach that provides aerial surveillance to the Border Patrol Sector Chiefs on the ground. Previous deployments of the Guard were used to provide time for Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to hire new agents, grow, and enhance their own organic capabilities - thus begging the question: When the current Guard deployment ends later this year, will CBP’s aviation components be able to sustain the missions previously performed by the National Guard? My hearing will provide the opportunity to question witnesses from the National Guard, Department of Defense, and CBP on the effectiveness of the current deployment strategy and how that will support the goal of achieving operational control of the border. I believe that we need to have a long-term vision and whole-of-government approach to securing the Southwest Border that will replace the ad hoc application of resources that has, to date, epitomized our approach to border security.”

Chief Al H. Gillespie
President & Chairman of the Board
International Association of Fire Chiefs

Mr. Bruce Lockwood
Second Vice President
USA Council
International Association of Emergency Managers

Sheriff Chris Nocco
Pasco County (FL) Sheriff’s Office

Chairman Bilirakis on the hearing:

"This hearing is the third in a series conducted by the Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications on the need for research, development, and acquisition of vital medical countermeasures and the preparation of plans to dispense and distribute those countermeasures in the event of a chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear attack. This hearing will provide Subcommittee Members with the opportunity to explore plans and strategies to ensure that emergency response personnel are protected in the event of such an attack, including through voluntary pre-event vaccination."

"The Asia-Pacific region is an important partner to achieving U.S. economic growth and ensuring security of the global supply chain. The hearing is an opportunity to discuss with public and private sector witnesses how the U.S. can strengthen its ties with the Asia-Pacific region to help spur U.S. job growth, while improving security of travel and commerce."

“Our hearing next week will examine the extent to which the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is optimally leveraging the extensive national laboratory infrastructure to support homeland security research and development needs. The Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate’s number one stated goal is to ‘deliver knowledge, analyses and innovative solutions that advance the mission of the Department.’ To help determine ways in which the DHS and Department of Energy laboratories are being utilized for this purpose, we will examine such questions as: Is the S&T Office of National Laboratories meeting its statutory intent as a cross-DHS coordinator for laboratory work? What process does DHS implement for prioritizing work to the national labs? Are the costs reasonable, and are there cost savings to be found? Is the existing laboratory capacity sufficient to meet the need, or is more building justified? Such oversight will allow increased insight into how S&T can work more efficiently under budget constraints to support the homeland security mission.”